Godzilla, the King of Monsters Introduction In Japanese, the word Kaiju means a giant monster. It is a word that describes a different type of beast of a human-sized nasty portrayed in movies. Giant monsters have the capability of eating a person wholly and wreck cities by way of stomping. Their use in the Japanese Kaiju films has made these movies the most important in the genre. Newitz (1) describes various Japanese Kaiju films that one must watch to understand the usefulness of giant monster in these movies. Some of the Kaiju films in Japan include the Godzilla (1954), Mothra (1961), Ghidorah (1964), King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962), Mothra Vs. Godzilla (1964), and The Mysterians (1957) among others. This research paper aims at discussing a selected Japanese Kaiju Movie. The paper will focus on various aspects of the movies including its history, how it compared to the western monster films and American Godzilla films among other aspects. The Selected Film The selected Japanese Kaiju Film is the Godzilla (1954). The film presents American nuclear weapons testing results through the creation of an unstoppable beast that looks like a dinosaur. Godzilla (1954) had its original title as Gojira. It is one hour and thirty-six minutes movies full of horrific drama. The horrible …show more content…
effects of the film begin by presenting Japan as terrified after the explosion and sinking of several ships (IMDb 1). The first suspect by the authorities was that it was as a result of the underwater mines or the volcanic activity under the sea. The authorities went to Odo Island where the ships had sunk. They had a different experience while at Odo whereby, one night, there was something on the onshore that was destroying the houses and killing people. Later, on another journey to the island, they experienced a more devastating thing and this time, it was a type of a 50-meter-tall monster with whom the natives of Japan called Gojira. After its discovery, the monster began a riot that threatened to destroy Japan and the rest of the world. The question that the authorities and many of us after watching the film ask is that is it possible to destroy the monster before it becomes too late? It is a film that leaves everyone in suspense of how the monster can be killed to leave the world in peace. Why Select Godzilla (1954) In progress. History of the Godzilla (1954) Giant monsters (Kaiju) have a long history of Japan. Godzilla (1954) being the first Japanese Kaiju Film represents a time when a mass of giant monsters was out for the purpose of destroying humanity. Kaiju is a Japanese word meaning strange beast. However, in the Godzilla (1954) film, the word is used to define a specified type of Japanese sci-fi and fantasy film. Kaiju, the strange monster was a genre that emerged in Japan and personified as the atom bomb. Human beings never had the capability of destroying Kaiju, nature or other Kaijus were capable of destroying it (Accomando 1). The Kaiju in Japan are comparable to a force of nature as well as offering varying Yokai mythology in Japan. Men played the role of Kaiju in the movies. They wore suits and drew on the Noh Theater traditions. Noriega (63) describes Godzilla as a measure used in dealing with the history of mass destruction weaponry and how it affected Japan. Comparison of Kaiju Movie to Western Monster Films In progress Comparison of Japanese Godzilla Films with American Godzilla Films In Progress Conclusion The original Kaiju film, the Godzilla, has received significant modifications in the western monster movies versions with the latest produced in 2014.
The original meaning of the movie Godzilla has changed with the Japanese Godzilla having a different meaning from the American Godzilla. The creature features, the meaning of monster, and the variation of actors has brought about the change in the original Japanese Kaiju film to the current version of Godzilla. However, all of the versions are fascinating with the original version remaining most interesting of all. Therefore, for a person to get the real meaning of Godzilla, it is important to watch the original Kaiju film for the year
1954.
Akira Kurosawa, legendary Japanese filmmaker who directed films like The Hidden Fortress which was a major inspiration for Star Wars, Yojimbo, Rashomon and many more, but his most well known film, The Seven Samurai is his best movie, it is rank 19 of Top Rated Movies in IMDB, so of course after the release of the film in America, Hollywood remade the film and titled it The Magnificent Seven. Because it is a remake The Magnificent Seven and The Seven Samurai both have many similarities in terms of the plot, characters, and theme. Ultimately, due to having more originality and better characters, The Seven Samurai is the better film than The Magnificent Seven. The Seven Samurai takes place in 1586, at that period, there was a lot of conflicts between the civilian and the emperor because the Emperor was the leader and had problem keeping peace, the
For instance take Godzilla, in “Japan’s Nuclear Nightmare: How the Bomb Became a Beast Called Godzilla” author, Peter H Brothers tells us some history behind the making of the monster. “Godzilla was made in Japan less then a decade after atomic bombs devastated the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Still reeling from the trauma of atomic annihilation and the subsequent effects of radioactive poisoning, a team of Japanese filmmakers created a monster that embodied the fears and anxieties in Japan resulting from Nuclear Warfare” (51). Godzilla is a prime example of monsters symbolizing a societies fears. “We create monsters as a reaction to the fears we experience and our inability to control the world around us” (Asma 61). Our inability to not have control of our fate and what other people are going to do will never change, but creating Godzilla gave the people of these
Monsters and the Moral Imagination, written by Stephen Asma, presents many possible outcomes as to why monsters are the rise. Mr. Asma discusses why monster portrayals could be on the rise in movies, books, and stories throughout his subsection Monsters are on the Rise. Perhaps the rise is due to traumatic events in recent history such as the holocaust or the terroristic attacks of 9/11 in
Title: Metaphors in Cinema: Gigantic Monsters Proposed Research: The metaphors in films like Godzilla, Big Bug Movies (Them, Tarantula), and King Kong. Trauma and fear of war, science, and humanity. Question: Develop an argument about how humans deal with their fear of death through the use of one or more monsters (zombies, vampires, etc.). Monsters like Godzilla are important for humans who are coping with a fear of death. The use of monsters is to lessen the fear of imminent threat and or distress of waiting for a catastrophe to happen.
In 1954, Japan debuted the world’s first radioactive “king of all monsters”, Gojira. Gojira director, Ishiro Honda, sets the first scene with a destructive power emerging from the sea that would ignite a burning panic throughout Japan and force catastrophe in its wake—much like the atomic bomb it was birthed from. Gojira had a single purpose, to rampage across Japan and decimate everything in its path. As much as they tried to stop the monster, Japan’s defenses fell victim to Gojira’s indestructibility. As Japan’s last resort, they found hope in Dr. Serizawa’s emergence of new science and technology to dismantle Gojira. In the end, the bittersweet success of defeating Gojira with Dr. Serizawa’s Oxygen Destroyer was not dared to be forgotten or thought of lightly. Because if placed in the wrong hands, nuclear weapons testing may continue and another monster might appear again.
Imagine waking one day to witness the tragic state of hundreds of thousands of homes being left in ruins, along with the ashes and rubble of major cities, and the casualties of millions of citizens. This was evident on August 6, 1945 in Hiroshima, Japan when the first ever atomic bomb dropped. A mere three days later, and Nagasaki, Japan was also bombed, and the world was taken by storm. Even though WWII is in the past, the long-term effects on Japanese citizens and the debate on possible outcomes of the war is still discussed decades after the events. According to Peter H. Brothers in “Japan’s Nuclear Nightmare: How the Bomb Became a Beast Called Godzilla,” these events inspired film director, Ishiro Honda, to create the monster movie Godzilla,
“All these memories will be lost, in time, like tears in the rain” the end of one of “the most moving death soliloquies in cinematic history” the replicant Roy Batty explains to his would be killer that everything in his life(Mark Rowlands Philosopher at the end of the Universe 234-235). This is one of the most telling speeches of the replicant Roy Batty in his search for himself. Throughout this semester, in the study for the self, one question has endured, whether each person has a built-in, authentic self, each person strives to identify, or whether each person is “free” to develop their self through their own personal experiences. Both sides to the question have evidence to support their beliefs about the self in every human, and whether it is one consistent self, or it
The pristine 1933 King Kong was constructed as a movie: to convey a story to entertain an audience. Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake took the substructure for King Kong and expanded upon it in virtually every way in order to “make again” the astoundment of the original for a modern-day audience. Audiences received the first King Kong very well. The stop-motion sequences of Kong were astounding for their time and the movie grossed over $90,000 in its beginning weekend. In order to bank upon its prosperity again, sequels were made and thus in 1976 a remake was made to amend upon the original. Paramount updated the movie to color, altered the story, and cast Jeff Bridges, a widely popular actor of the time, as the lead actor. Although the movie received stirred reviews, it did exceptionally well in the box office and tripled Paramount’s initial budget for the motion picture. Even though the movie wasn’t “as good” as the original, audiences still paid money to view it because of that hope that they would feel like they once did when they visually perceived the first King Kong. The remake add...
Hiroshi Inagaki’s 1954 film Samurai 1: Musashi Miyamoto and Kenji Misumi’s 1972 film Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance are both characterized by fluid panoramic shots that show men that are at once dwarfed by their surroundings yet simultaneously in control, showcased in breathtaking sword-fighting scenes where they seem to defy the laws of gravity. Samurai films, “much like the American Western,” feature “tales of loyalty, revenge, romance, fighting prowess, and the decline of a traditional way of life” (“Samurai Cinema”). Both of these films display all of these themes, but where they depart is that the protagonist of Samurai 1: Musashi Miyamoto begins as a wayward member of society and eventually earns honor and respect, while the protagonist of Lone Wolf and Cub steps completely outside the bounds of social acceptability.
Kurosawa creates a masterpiece with the Seven Samurai. This film was created in 1954, it is a Japanese film and it has English subtitles. The Seven Samurai is a story about a small farming village in 16th century Japan that is under constant threat from traveling groups of outlaw bandits. The elders that live in the village decide to hire a defense force to protect them from these outlaws. They enlist a variety of samurai for hire and samurai are willing to work for their food. The mission of the seven samurai is to protect the village against almost impossible odds.
While the western definition of “monster” is not entirely synonymous with Japanese yokai, they both do share what “Monsterologists” like Komatsu Kazuhiko and Susan Sontag note as a profound connection between their appearance and “times of crisis.” While perhaps this connection is more prominent in the relationship between Godzilla and Japan’s “nuclear dialectic,” there is evidence that folktales of yokai nevertheless emerged during different times of crisis in Japanese history. This essay will explore the appearance of yokai in Yanagita Kunio’s The Legends of Tono in relation to anxieties of protecting local society and identity in “pre-modern” Japan, as well as the connection between Japan’s struggle with modernity and an increased exposure to stories of yokai in after the nineteenth century, ultimately arguing that monsters in the Japanese context evidently emerge during “times of crisis.” For the purpose of this essay,
When people think of heroes and villains they think of the characters who play these roles in cartoon movies like Batman and Spiderman, but in reality, anyone can be a hero and anyone can be a villain. Heroes are considered to be inspirational and bold because of what they do to help others. While villains are typically defined as a wicked or evil person who makes others feel helpless.
In the history of horror films, monsters are often strongly associated with specific colors. Count Dracula will always live in the mind of viewers with bloody red cape much in the same way that Godzilla's green skin will terrify audiences for years to come (Landis, 2011). Fatimah Rony’s claim that monstrosity is “essentially visual” (1996) is one definition of teratology
King Kong, one of the most iconically labeled monster since his first appearance in the early 20th century. Continuing with the series of films, Kong: Skull Island features the colossal ape ruler of his own island previously hidden away from the public eye until now. What was assigned as a geographic exploration project turned ary. The group had been tricked into the leaders plan thinking they were on the island for scientific purposes, however instead they were assembled as bait to serve as proof to the rest of the world that monsters exist, that is if they survive. The group is separated both mentally and physically as they fight the monsters of Skull Island hoping to return home.
In the early morning of August 6 1945, a United States Army weather observation plane took off from Tinian air base toward the Japanese interior. As the plane neared Hiroshima City at an altitude of 10.000 meters, it sent a message to the B29 Enola Gay, which was following it and carrying the atomic bomb. Hiroshima was chosen as the primary target since it had remained largely untouched by bombing raids, and the bomb's effects could be clearly measured. While President Truman had hoped for a purely military target, some advisers believed that bombing an urban area might break the fighting will of the Japanese people. Hiroshima was a major port and a military headquarters,